A Public Health Alert Has Been Issued for Ground Beef Due to E. coli Contamination

Carlos Matias
Carlos Matias
Carlos Matias lives in the Bronx, NY. The only thing he enjoys more than food and writing is weaving the two together. And empanadas. He recently released his debut picture book, Emergency Quarters.
published Sep 12, 2022
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all different ways to brown ground beef in skillets next to each other
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Pearl Jones
We Tried 5 Methods for Browning Ground Beef and the Winner Is a Game-Changer

It’s been a bad year for beef. Earlier this year, 28,000 pounds of beef were recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and now, one of our beloved meal kit brands has had an E. coli scare, too.

The FSIS has issued a public health alert because ground beef sold in HelloFresh meal kits may be contaminated with E. coli. The alert was issued instead of a recall because the meal kits containing the ground beef are no longer for sale. If you’re anything like me, however, you might have a month-old meal kit or two in the back of your freezer. If you do, the FSIS urges you not to consume and throw them away.

​​The meal kits were shipped to customers from July 2 to July 21 in a 10-ounce plastic vacuum package labeled as “Ground Beef 85% Lean/15% Fat” with the code “EST#46481 L1 22 155” or “EST#46481 L5 22 155” printed on the package. If you have any questions regarding the public health alert, you can contact the company at hello@hellofresh.com.

Once you know your beef is safe, you can give this dreamy taco pasta or this comforting hamburger soup recipe a try. Not sure how to shop for the right beef for your upcoming meal? Here are a few things you need to know before shopping for ground beef, according to butchers.